First look inside Neath’s transformed Gnoll Country Park

Major changes unveiled

The transformation of Gnoll Country Park has touched almost every corner of the 240‑acre site. At its heart is a new two‑storey visitor centre, replacing the ageing building with a café, flexible event spaces and a balcony that looks out across the lake.

Families will find a dedicated soft play area inside, while outside children can explore Gnoll Towers — a woodland adventure playground of three climbing towers, the tallest rising nearly 30 feet.

Visitors looking to stay longer can now book Pond Cottage, a restored Victorian groundkeeper’s home turned dog‑friendly holiday accommodation. The cottage sleeps up to six and comes with its own gardens, a log burner fuelled by wood from the park, and views across the pond and surrounding wildlife.

Neath Port Talbot Council Leader Cllr Steve Hunt and Cabinet Member Cllr Cen Phillips outside the newly refurbished Pond Cottage at Gnoll Country Park.(Image: Neath Port Talbot Council)

Elsewhere, the ruins of Gnoll House have been consolidated, the park’s historic cascades restored to their former spectacle, and new walking routes opened up.

A bridge now links the grounds to Brynau Farm, a 57‑hectare Woodland Trust haven, extending the reach of the park into the wider Vale of Neath landscape.

Alongside the physical changes, the site has been given refreshed branding, a new website and updated interpretation materials to guide visitors through its history.

Close-up of the Visitor Centre entrance at Gnoll Country Park, featuring new branding and signage.(Image: Neath Port Talbot Council)

Council’s perspective

Neath Port Talbot Council says the new facilities are intended to enhance the visitor experience and increase footfall. Council leader Steve Hunt described the visitor centre as “stylish” and said Pond Cottage would provide “a unique and authentic base” for exploring the wider Vale of Neath Heritage Corridor.

Cabinet member Cen Phillips added that the project would ensure the park “continues to play a big part in Neath Port Talbot’s future.”

Historic backdrop

Gnoll Country Park has a long history dating back to Elizabethan times, when the estate was granted to the Earls of Pembroke. It later passed to the Evans family and, through marriage in 1686, to Sir Humphrey Mackworth.

Mackworth developed the estate into an industrial hub and expanded the house and gardens. His son, Herbert, continued the work, laying out the grounds as a landscaped garden and adding features such as cascades and a grotto — elements that have now been restored as part of the latest project.

Opening soon

The park is due to officially reopen next month, with the council hoping the investment will secure its place as one of Neath Port Talbot’s most popular attractions for both residents and visitors.

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Student mural celebrates nature at abandoned farm-turned woodland

The new mural was created at Coed Cadw’s Brynau Farm site by Ellie Jones, a BA Illustration student at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD). Her winning design celebrates the rich stories, landscape and wildlife of Brynau Farm – from the springtime bluebells to the elusive resident barn owl.

Brynau, meaning ‘many hills’ in Welsh, is a 235-acre, long-forgotten landscape that has been restored into a sanctuary for nature. Barren fields have been transformed into vibrant young woodland, with restoration work carried out in the ancient wood, and abandoned agricultural buildings resurrected into a secure home for Brynau’s resident barn owl.

Brynau Farm landscape
(Image: Sophie Thomas)

The landscape is grazed by a small herd of ancient Welsh white cattle and boasts panoramic views across Bannau Brycheiniog and Swansea Bay.

The mural is the centrepiece of the ‘Spirit of Place’ work being undertaken at Brynau, and forms part of Coed Cadw’s wider vision to engage and inspire young people in the protection and restoration of nature.

The project began with a live brief issued to Swansea College of Art students, inviting them to creatively interpret the unique character and ecological promise of Brynau.

A panel made up of Coed Cadw staff, volunteers, youth forum members and external youth representatives selected Ellie’s design for its outstanding artistic quality and deep emotional connection to the natural world.

Ellie at work
(Image: UWTSD)

“My creative work is heavily inspired by nature, wellbeing and mindfulness,” student and artist, Ellie Jones explained. “I wanted to capture the calm, beauty and wildlife that thrive at Brynau Farm – from the bluebells to the resident barn owl. I hope this mural encourages people to pause, take a breath, and really appreciate the nature that surrounds them.”

“This project has been a shining example of how creativity and conservation can come together to inspire change,” said Sophie Thomas, Digital Communications Officer at Coed Cadw. “We’re incredibly proud to support young people like Ellie who bring their passion and vision into public spaces. The mural at Brynau is not only beautiful, it’s a visual reminder of our shared responsibility to protect and cherish the natural world.”

Ellie’s winning design celebrates the rich stories, landscape and wildlife of Brynau Farm
(Image: UWTSD)

Now complete, it is hoped that Ellie’s mural will act as a vibrant reminder of the importance of connecting young people with nature through creative expression.

It also marks another chapter in Coed Cadw’s long-term commitment to restoring and protecting nature in Neath; it recently secured an additional 140 hectares of land at Cefn Morfudd as part of an ambitious project to create and restore woodland and natural habitats across a 236-hectare landscape – one of the largest woodland restoration efforts in Wales.

Brynau lanscape

“It’s been a real privilege to partner with Coed Cadw,” added Iwan Vaughan, Lecturer in BA Illustration at Swansea College of Art. “Giving our students the opportunity to tackle a live brief has not only developed their creative practice, but also connected them with a vital environmental mission. It’s fantastic to see their work make a real difference.”

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